three people killed in Haiti as widespread gang violence continues to plague the country

A US missionary couple were among three people killed in Haiti as widespread gang violence continues to plague the country. Natalie Lloyd, 21, her 23-year-old husband David, and Jude Montis, a 20-year-old Haitian, were ambushed by gunmen as they left a church. The couple's deaths were confirmed on Facebook by Natalie's father, Missouri State Senator Ben Baker. "They were attacked by gangs this evening and were both killed," he wrote. "They went to heaven together."

The couple were married in 2022. Their organization, Missions in Haiti, confirmed to US media that Mr. Montis was the third victim. In an earlier Facebook post, the organization said that the three were attacked by two separate armed groups, beginning with an attack by gunmen in three vehicles. After another group arrived and a gang member was shot dead, the three missionaries were trapped in a house while the gang went "into full attack mode", the post added. "They are holed up in there, the gangs have shot all the windows out of the house and continued to shoot," the post said.

Missions in Haiti confirmed that all three were dead three hours later. The state department is aware of the deaths, a spokesperson told the BBC's US partner CBS. "We offer our sincere condolences to the family on their loss," the spokesperson said. "We stand ready to provide all appropriate consular assistance." On X/Twitter, Missouri Governor Mike Parson called the deaths "absolutely heart-breaking news". The White House on Friday called for the swift deployment of a Kenyan-led multinational force to stabilize the nation. "The security situation in Haiti cannot wait," said a National Security Council spokesperson, adding that President Joe Biden had pledged to support the "expedited deployment" of the force in talks with Kenya's president on Thursday. 

"Our hearts go out to the families of those killed as they experience unimaginable grief," the spokesperson added. In an interview with the BBC on Friday, Kenyan President William Ruto said this type of incident was part of the reason his country will deploy forces in the country."We shouldn't be losing people. We shouldn't be losing missionaries. It is the reason why we made this decision - knowing very well that the responsibility for security in Haiti is a shared responsibility," he said. "We are doing this to forestall and to stop more people losing their lives to gangs," he added.